Visbur succeeded his father Vanland. He married the daughter of Aude the Rich, and gave her as her bride-gift three large farms,and a gold ornament. They had two sons, Gisle and Ond; butVisbur left her and took another wife, whereupon she went home toher father with her two sons. Visbur had a son who was calledDomald, and his stepmother used witchcraft to give him ill-luck.

Now, when Visbur's sons were the one twelve and the otherthirteen years of age, they went to their father's place, anddesired to have their mother's dower; but he would not deliver itto them. Then they said that the gold ornament should be thedeath of the best man in all his race, and they returned home. Then they began again with enchantments and witchcraft, to try ifthey could destroy their father.

The sorceress Hulda said that by witchcraft she could bring it about by this means, that a murderer of his own kin should never be wanting in the Yngling race; and they agreed to have it so. hereafter they collected men, came unexpectedly in the night on Visbur, and burned him in his house. So sings Thiodolf:

Have the fire-dogs' fierce tongues yellingLapt Visbur's blood on his own hearth?Have the flames consumed the dwellingOf the hero's soul on earth?

Forniot was father of Loge, Ægir and Kara; or Fire, the Sea and the Wind; and hence fire is called by the skalds the brother of the sea. Loge is a word still retained in the northern parts of Scotland to signify fire. The "lowe," for the flame or blaze of fire, is indeed in general use in Scotland.

Dr Irene García Losquiño from University of Aberdeen Centre for Scandinavian Studies is doing first archeological study of Vikings in Spain. She says:

“There are written accounts of Viking raids in northern Spain but, archaeologically, absolutely nothing has been done on an academic scale. Internationally, there is only a vague knowledge that the Vikings went there. They visited the area from around 840 until the 11th century but there is no realisation that there is this vast thing to be explored. Most of the studies focus on their activities in other countries such as Britain and Ireland.

“I don’t believe in fate, but I had been writing about Galicia at the time of the storm, and when I read that these [Viking] anchors had washed up [in a March 2014 storm], I dropped everything and went to investigate for myself.

"On the beach where the anchors were found there was a big mound which locals thought might have been a motte-and-bailey construction, which was used by the later Vikings in France. But with the help of a geographer using tomography we now think this was a longphort – a Viking construction only found in Ireland during the early Viking age, and very similar to English Viking camps, where they would winter, after taking over the harbor.

"All this indicates that there is a far greater impact on the landscape than the written sources attest to. It is said the Vikings first attacked the north of Spain, took some towns and came through the fjord into Santiago. The sources say they were 'in the fields for 3 years,' but no one knows where, or what they did there. Some of these sites could reflect these places where there was a certain amount of settlement.

"Excitingly, I am preparing a dig in spring. We are going to several sites that have very unusual shapes with metal detectors. We have been comparing aerial maps from the 1950s with up-to-date satellite images and they look exactly like Viking camps that have been found elsewhere. We want to find something datable and trace their movements, through where they established camps.

“In these places there is an identity within the current population that is not Celtic and not Spanish, but Viking. There are certain places that have traditions based on north euro or Scandinavian customs. In places there are Iron Age mounds that have big pieces of quartz that would have been found, for instance, in Sweden. The chronicles state that some of the Vikings stayed behind, and they were offered the chance to integrate into society. Some locals believe that is why there are a lot of people with ginger hair and blue eyes, far more than in other parts of Spain!

“It is hugely important to share any information that we find with the local community, so they can relate their history to the interaction with the Vikings. They are proud of this link to the Vikings. In some towns there are festivals and pilgrimages that pay homage to these roots. But there is a lack of facts and data about when they were here, where they went, and how long for. I hope to be able to fill in some of these blanks and share it with the whole community. It is such a local thing, in some cases only a Spaniard, and in some cases someone who can speak the local language can have access to – so I am very fortunate!”

Karl has been featured as a writer and lecturer on mythology and religion by On Religion Magazine (UK), Interfaith Ramadan (Italy), the Joseph Campbell Foundation, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Wagner Society of America and Wheaton College. He is the author of all Ásatrú definitions in the Religion Stylebook of the Religion Newswriters Association. He's a member of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study, the Tolkien Society (UK), the Viking Society for Northern Research (UK) and the Religion Newswriters Association. He's also the Official Norse Mythologist of the Stephanie Miller Show.

Karl holds degrees in literature and music from University of California at San Diego, University of Wisconsin at Madison and University of Texas at Austin. He also studied literature and art history at Loyola University Chicago Rome Center in Italy. He recently received an academic scholarship from University of Chicago Divinity School and is now working on an MA in Religion.

2012, 2013 & 2014 Weblog Awards:Best Religion Weblog

Weblog Awards Hall of Fame: First religion blog to enter the Hall of Fame

Chicago Public Radio: "[Karl's] one of the country’s most respected researchers and lecturers on Norse mythology."

Bob Freeman: "Best Esoteric Website 2013: For anyone with an interest in Norse culture, myth, and magic, there is no better place to visit on the web."The Wild Hunt: "If you aren’t already reading Dr. Karl E. H. Seigfried's amazing The Norse Mythology Blog, then you've been remiss. The blog is one of the most content-rich affairs for lovers of Norse mythology I’ve ever seen."

Tales of a GM: "This is an amazing resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of Northern Europe. The Norse Mythology Blog is such a brilliant combination of modern issues and ancient sources. If you have any interest in Norse culture or mythology, then you must visit Dr Seigfried’s site."Vancouver Sun: "The best blog on faith and spirituality may be one about a so-called ‘dead’ religion, Norse mythology. The Norse Mythology Blog reflects deep knowledge of this ancient religion, along with an affable spirit. [Karl] knows everything one would ever want to know about Thor, Odin, Frey, Loki, Frigg, Freya and countless more Norse gods, goddesses and mythological hangers-on."